Slow Smiles & Forever
by RavenEcho
Summary: Dominique knows from the very beginning... Teddy and Lily Luna's story, from her point of view. R/R please.


Author's Note: To any of my old faithfuls… sorry this isn't _These Stone Walls_, and I hope you'll find it in your hearts to forgive me and trust that I will eventually end the world's longest hiatus, promise. As is, I hope you enjoy my first fic 1) in the new generation of HP and 2) on my new favorite pair.

Disclaimer: There is this amazing series of books out there, but I didn't write it…

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Dominique watches. It's what she does best. As a quiet Ravenclaw and a second [unwanted] daughter, watching and knowing are basically her two best [and least recognized] skills. And that's how she knew Teddy and Victoire were never going to work, before they even knew it themselves. Really, she didn't even have to be a Ravenclaw to figure it out—she just paid attention more than anybody else in the Weasley-Potter family.

1. 

It all began when Lily Luna Potter was nine years old, and Dominique was twelve, about to go off to Hogwarts for her second time. Teddy was fresh out of Hogwarts and into a new career as a Healer, and Victoire was a blossoming fifth year, experimenting with her inherited veela charm and all the various ways she could twist a boy around her little finger. Victory didn't just apply to the war after all; it signified every victory Victoire had over those little boys' broken hearts.

Dominique was hugging her youngest Potter cousin goodbye [again] when she overheard her parents talking to Harry and Ginny in those obnoxious knowing tones they used so often. Fleur was watching Victoire, who was talking to her recent boyfriend, Teddy, and was obviously reveling in the attention she was getting from her classmates. Only their mother didn't see that—would never notice her daughter's arrogance—and only saw a "sweet" possibility before her eyes.

"Those two are going to get married one day, you mark my words," her father remarked to Lily Luna's, watching the pair over his wife's head with a smile and grinning when Teddy pressed a firm farewell kiss upon Victoire's glossed lips.

Dominique rolled her eyes at the [recently all too common] comment, and so nearly missed the look on little Lily's face. Lily was always a quiet child [like herself] so she didn't say a word, but her green eyes got cloudier with slight tears, and her delicate jaw set. And as Dominique rode away on the train and watched her family disappear, little Lily Luna's hand in Teddy's, she knew her family would be proven wrong before too long.

2.

Dominique's second year passed quickly. She rapidly got used to hearing her sister's loud [bragging] gushing over Teddy's letters and small gifts while eating breakfast at the Ravenclaw table, and learned soon to ignore the annoying Gryffindor. Instead she contented herself with small knowing smiles and long letters to her cousin Lily, who had turned ten in January, and was spending more time with "her bestest friend" Teddy than ever.

Little Lily Luna was still little, but she was growing up, and she wouldn't be young for long. No, in less than two short years she would be at Hogwarts, and with those long auburn locks (much more like the late Lily Potter's than her Aunt Ginny's, from everything she was told) and wide green eyes, she would be giving Victoire plenty of competition for hearts to break.

3.

It was September 1st once again, and Dominique couldn't stop the slow smirk that spread across her face as she watched her cousin enter the platform, all spiky heels and short jean skirt and damn long legs for an eleven and a half year old. She was still so, so [deliciously] young, but Dominique knew she'd be growing up fast. She wasn't at all surprised when a few short hours later [not-so-little after all] Lily Luna was sorted into Slytherin, Victoire's head was shaking disapprovingly, Asp Potter was smiling as his sister joined him at his table, and Lily Luna was all elegance and grace as she swayed her way over. No, Lily Luna may have only been eleven years old, but she didn't have all that much growing up left to do.

Dominique was easily amused during her fourth year and Lily's first. The girl was a rebel wrapped up in a silk green disguise, a rebel of the like her family wasn't equipped to handle—for Lily Luna was a Slytherin like none other, a snake far more clever and kind than her older brothers. In a few short months, Lily had tried on more than a few boys for size, expertly twisted out of James and her father's complaints, sweetly let boys down, and then sworn them all off altogether with a too-fast-to-be-real wink at her favorite cousin Dominique.

And meanwhile, Victoire flirted with all the Gryffindor boys on her paths to the Owlery to mail Teddy another letter, sealed with a kiss. And she spread every rumor she heard about her "dearest" first year cousin. And she didn't even notice that little Lily Luna was still quite firmly Teddy Lupin's best friend, despite all the changes. But Dominique sure did.

4.

The year that Lily was twelve was a triumphant one for both her and Dominique. Victoire was finally out of Hogwarts, and without her [oppressively] silver Veela beauty, the other Weasley-Potter girls were allowed to shine.

Molly finally began to date a bit. Lucy became the undeniable Quidditch star of Ravenclaw. Roxanne basked in the limelight of finally being Gryffindor's golden girl. And Dominique and Lily Luna? They [wise as they were] were content to sit back and smile those slow [seductive] smiles.

Lily traded in makeup and her hair straightening charms for worn out blue jeans and her natural auburn waves. She didn't go out on dates anymore [she had learned everything she really needed or wanted to know and could fuck the boys in the broom closets whenever she wanted] and instead bonded with her friends… especially one Teddy Lupin, whom she undeniably saw on every Hogsmeade weekend and wrote at least once a week.

And Victoire? Victoire simpered to her friends [false as they were] about how lucky she was, and got herself and Teddy a "posh" little apartment off of Diagon Alley, and went shopping every weekend, and never once realized that Teddy's heart belonged to a girl with red hair and gnawed-on fingernails and grass stains on the butt of her ancient jeans.

5.

And then Lily was fourteen, and Dominique was basking in her last year of Hogwarts, her last year of "innocence" as her father reminded her [as if]…

And Lily Luna was painting her fingernails black, and drinking Muggle whisky on weekends and school nights alike, and smoking cigarettes out by the lake, and wishing and cursing on every bright star in the night sky.

And Teddy and Victoire? They were busy planning a wedding they didn't really want or need, and Victoire wanted everything just so, and Teddy just wanted everything to be over.

And Dominique just smiled that slow smile when Victoire asked her in that bossy tone to be her maid of honor, because she hated wearing dresses, and Victoire knew that, but what Victoire didn't yet know was that a miniature disaster was creeping her way.

6.

It was an especially cold January, and Lily Luna had just turned fifteen. She ushered the year and her birthday in with vodka shots and acid green nails and a tiny tattoo of a dragon on her hip. Dominique grinned when she saw it the first time, peeking above the rim of those low rider jeans. Teddy bear would just love that…

And Dominique laughed in April when she heard that the wedding was cancelled, and for the most delightful of reasons—seems as though Teddy had a little slip of the tongue while in bed with his silver fiancée.

7.

Dominique kissed her Hogwarts days good-bye that June and said hello to the drama that was her sister. She loved Victoire—how could she not?—but gods that girl was trouble. Teddy was all cowardly denials and "this isn't what my father died fighting for" and "I'm too old for her," and Vic was all, "He was the love of my life and I'll never be happy again" [yeah, right].

And Lily Luna was oblivious as could be, laughing when her mother saw her tattoo, not even bothering to spell the sweet aroma of smoke off her hair or her silver and green scarf, and all together causing a ruckus in her household.

The second sister chuckled as she comforted her sister and cheered her cousin on… silently, of course. She was no damn Gryffindor.

8.

Lily Luna's fifth year flew by while Dominique hunted for jobs and rolled her eyes at the sheer pointlessness of it all. She was getting quite bored, really, waiting for the inevitable. And Teddy was a pain to be around—not welcome around half the family, and too mope-y to be any good company for the other half. Everybody worried and wondered and Dominique just sighed at the futility that was her hopeless family—hadn't anyone guessed, _yet_?

And before too long, Lily was sixteen, and ran off to Romania to play with Charlie and his dragons for a summer, and came back with stars in her eyes and sun-tanned calloused hands.

And it really was amusing when Teddy stared at the girl at the family's end-of-the-summer bash, especially because he thought that she didn't even notice him, only because she was dancing with every other boy available _except_ for him. And it was even more delightful because Lily Luna shot the most [delectably] knowing looks at Dominique from under her long eyelashes… and maybe she wasn't quite so oblivious after all.

9.

And two years flew by in a silly series of stalling techniques and tense meetings. And Teddy traveled [oh it was adorable the way he tried to run from his future] and Lily didn't write and so [of course] he had to come back and make sure she was alright and then they would fight [again] and off he would go [again].

And Dominique laughed because Teddy was stupid, but her little auburn cousin was not, and she would win her prize… he had been waiting for her all along, you see?

10.

And everybody was so surprised when little Lily Luna graduated and ran straight into Teddy Lupin's arms [of all people] and they kissed, right there in front of everyone [finally].

And sure, Victoire was a little peeved [ha, a little? More like on the edge of the killing curse, but wait, that was just the shade of little Lily Luna's eyes…], but then Vicky Vic found Lysander Scamander and that man-eating instinct just slid right out again.

And the whole family was so surprised when little Lily Luna and Teddy Lupin got married that August [he's a bit old for her, isn't he?]—yes, the whole family was surprised, except for Dominique, because Dominique always knew. Best friends were forever, after all.


End file.
